The Rain of Illusions
by stephfarrow94
Summary: Sequel to 'Implications'. After being caught in a house fire which destroyed his home, Fran is diagnosed with PTSD several months after the event. When Takeshi is informed of his boyfriend's situation, he catches the next flight down to Italy to try and look after him. Yaoi, 8026, YamamotoXFran, AU
1. Chapter 1

**This plot bunny just wouldn't leave me alone. I had to write it. Anyway, it's a sequel to Implications, but it could probably be read as stand-alone, as well. **

**To be honest, I don't think this chapter has come out as good as I wanted it to. **

"You really suck at video games, Froggy."

Addressed teenager narrowed his eyes at the older male before throwing his X-Box controller at the blond. "At least I don't throw tantrums when random people over the internet say stupid things me, you big sook."

Hidden eyes glinted with annoyance as Belphegor got to his feet, looking down at the teal-haired boy sprawled out on his black beanbag. "Well, fuck you, too."

"Sorry." The younger shrugged. "I have a boyfriend, senpai."

Bel's lips curled into a grin at these words, a soft chuckle escaping. He couldn't help but feel his anger die down; his Froggy was far too cute for his own good. "Ushishishi~ What time is it, Froggy?"

Fran glanced at his wristwatch, squinting slightly in the darkness of Bel's bedroom. "Three in the morning, senpai."

The taller male yawned as he nodded, walking over to his plasma TV to turn it off. "Bedtime, Froggy. Sleep with the prince?"

Fran nodded, too tired to bother going back to his own room - even _if_ said bedroom was just across the hall. He followed the older male over to the king-size bed tucked away in the corner of the room, pulling back the blood red comforter. He crawled in after Bel, resting his head immediately on the silk-covered pillows, having not realised how tired he was until now.

Bel wrapped his arms around the younger boy and pulled him close, resting his face in shiny teal hair. His fingers curled into the green frog-print pyjamas the younger wore, and he sighed happily, feeling peaceful enough to fall asleep almost immediately. Fran followed after within seconds.

Down the hallway, a loud, constant meowing could be heard from Xanxus' and Squalo's bedroom.

"Goddamnit, boss, shut your fucking cat up!" Squalo hissed, pulling his pillow over his head. He was trying to drown out the loud screeches Xanxus' new kitten was making from under their bed, frustrated that his sleep had been ruined.

"Go pick him up, trash," Xanxus growled, having not opened his eyes once during the five minute long ruckus. "He probably knows Lussuria isn't here."

"Voi!" Squalo kicked out at his boss' legs. "It's _your _fucking cat! _You _deal with -!"

"Do it, trash." Xanxus pushed Squalo from the bed, rolling over to rest in the middle of the large mattress. "While you're down there, make me some fucking steak."

"Make your _own _fucking steak!" Squalo reluctantly crawled to the underside of the bed, reaching underneath it for the white kitten they had just brought home a few days ago. "Fucking hell, Bester - get your ass here."

"Don't talk to him like that." Xanxus already was showing more care to his kitten openly than he would anyone else - and that _pissed _Squalo off immeasurably - _they _had been fucking _lovers_ for twenty years_, _and that cat just got its furry ass here.

Dodging the alarm clock that had been aimed at his head, Squalo resurfaced with the cat that was digging its claws into his hands. "Here's your stupid cat - do you smell that?"

"Smell what?" Xanxus, who had already ran out of things within reach to throw at his lover, growled.

"It smells like something is burning." Squalo gave the cat to its master, moving instead to the bedroom door. He opened it, poking his head out. The burning smell was stronger, and it sent a sense of dread down the man's spine; this wasn't right - there shouldn't be _anything _smelling like it was on fire...

"Go check it out, trash." Xanxus, who was now sitting up in his bed and cradling his kitten, rolled his eyes.

"...Will you come with me...?" Squalo _knew _he sounded pathetic at these words, but he couldn't help it - the thought of something actually being _wrong _and... and losing Xanxus... It sent him into a panic.

The dark-haired male knew his partner was distressed. If it were any other occasion, he would have said no and gone back to sleep, but he hadn't seen that scared look in Squalo's eyes in _years. _

With a grumble, Xanxus got to his feet and walked towards his lover, his dark eyes full of annoyance. He held the struggling kitten against his chest as he growled, "What are you? Six? Grow a fucking pair."

"Asshole..." With that said, Squalo pushed the bedroom door open. The two men stepped out into the second-floor corridor, following the smell to the staircase.

The kitten's meows were louder than ever as its tiny paws scratched and batted at its owner, seemingly desperate to get away. Xanxus paid the kitten no mind, trying to find the source of the smell; surely it wasn't a fire - none of the smoke alarms had gone off.

By the time they had gotten downstairs and nothing had been found, they were starting to wonder if it were just their imagination, until -

Fwoosh!

What sounded like a large explosion sounded seconds before what seemed to be a giant fireball flew past them, leaving angry red flames in its wake.

Squalo's eyes widened as he watched the staircase start to burn, knowing there was no other way to get back upstairs and wake Fran and Bel. Xanxus, who could sense the younger's distress, grabbed his shoulder and started pulling him away from the fire.

"Let me go!" Squalo shouted, struggling to remove the stronger hand from his person. "Fran and Bel are still upstairs!"

"Nothing we can do." Xanxus' voice was cold, but the silver-haired male knew he was just as worried as he was. "Get out before I _drag _you out."

Squalo knew not to resist Xanxus - especially when their lives were in such danger. Reluctantly, he followed the older man out of the house, wishing desperately he had grabbed his phone so that he could try and ring one of the younger males and warn them.

"Get the car," Xanxus demanded, pointing to the garage connected to the side of their mansion. "We'll use the neighbours' phone and call someone."

Squalo nodded, knowing there was nothing else they could do.

**~~Inside the mansion~~**

Bel's eyes opened as he heard a loud bang accompanied by Squalo's shouting. He could vaguely make out his and Fran's names being mentioned, but a loud roaring noise was making it hard to hear anything.

Climbing over the peacefully-sleeping Fran so that he could get off the bed, Bel sleepily made his way towards the bedroom door. He tried to flick the bedroom light on, only to realise there was no power - was that what Squalo was shouting about? What had made that bang?

Bel opened the door a crack, curious as to why the hallway seemed to be illuminated by an oddly red colour when the lights weren't working.

Opening the door further, the blond could make out the crackling of a raging fire, flames crawling up and engulfing the red carpet of the hallway.

Bel's heart thumped painfully against his chest as he realised what was going on; his home was on fucking _fire, _and he was caught in the middle of it_. _

"Froggy!" Bel ran back to the bed, skidding to a stop just before it. He snatched the still-sleeping boy into his arms, fumbling with the items sitting on the bedside drawer. Grabbing the asthma pump that belonged to Fran, he ran back to the door, knowing he had to get Fran out of here before the fire consumed them both.

"B-bel-senpai...?" Fran, who had no idea what was going on, stirred in the older male's arms. His tiny hand reached up, gripping the blue crown-print pyjamas tightly. "What's going on...?"

"The mansion's on fire." Forcing Fran's head into his chest, Bel explained, "Use my clothes to block out the smoke - we don't need you having an attack."

Fran nodded. He could hear Bel whimper and cry out as the older male ran through the corridor, braving the flames that were only ankle high at this point, and he could only imagine what was happening - he was honestly too afraid to move his face from the comfort of Bel's chest.

"B-bel-senpai..." Fran's grip tightened on the stronger male's pyjamas, feeling as if he were weightless - he had never been in such a frightening position before.

"It's okay, Froggy," Bel promised, holding one hand against the back of Fran's head while the other supported the boy. He was terrified to see that the staircase to the ground floor was already smouldering while the rest of the corridor burned ferociously, leaving only the stairs for the third floor. He knew it wasn't the smartest idea, but there was nowhere else for them to go; the fire was building in intensity with each passing second.

Moving up to higher ground, Bel ran to his right, knowing that the fire wasn't as bad on this side of the house - if they were lucky, it would buy them some time before the fire got to them.

The older male could sense how panicked Fran was, and he himself was just as scared; he could hear the boy's breathing take on that ragged, strangled strength, signalling an asthma attack. For several years now, his asthma had been dormant - now of all times it had to make an appearance.

"It's going to be okay." Bel himself was choking on the smoke that seemed to follow them into Xanxus' office. He used his teeth to pull the cap off the inhaler, shaking it before placing it at Fran's lips. "Breathe, Froggy. It's okay. It's okay. Breathe."

Fran tried his best to inhale, but it was no good - having ran through the fire had left his already-weak lungs full of smog. He coughed and choked, feeling himself get weaker and weaker.

"No..." Bel felt tears prick at his eyes as he realised Fran was losing consciousness. He himself wasn't doing well at all, stumbling over to the window behind Xanxus' desk. He leant out of the window, looking at the hard cement beneath them - it was too dangerous to try and climb out of the house, and there was nowhere else they could go.

Falling to his knees, Bel bit his lip as he shook Fran, begging for the other to stay conscious. He was coughing, his own lungs full of smoke, but he didn't feel as if he were about to pass out - he instead pulled one of his custom-made knives from his pyjama pocket, examining the steel blade with tear-filled eyes. He could see teal eyes following the blade, an almost frightened look in them, almost as if their bearer believed the knife was going to be used on one of them.

_I should end it here... _Bel ran his thumb over the serrated edge, drawing his own blood. He bit his lip as he placed the knife instead against Fran's throat, knowing he could end it with just a flick of his wrist. _Make it quick for him... He doesn't need to suffer... _

Fran was silent at this action, his eyes closing. He let out a few more coughs, but he seemed resigned to what Bel wanted, almost as if he didn't care if that blade ran across his throat or not.

Through the open door, Bel could see the flames following them into the office, cornering them ever-so-slowly. Pressing the blade harder against Fran's throat, he trembled.

_Should I do it...? He won't be in pain... He doesn't need to die this way...! ...But he doesn't deserve death at all... He's my Froggy, and I love him... I... I can't kill my Froggy..._

Removing the knife from the younger's throat, Bel wiped at the droplets of blood he had drawn, tears slipping down his cheeks. Hunching over the boy he hugged desperately to his body, he begged for their deaths to come quickly.

**~~Outside~~**

Squalo had never thought he'd lose his home to such a devastating thing - but no matter how painful it was to watch everything go up in flames, nothing hurt more than knowing that Fran and Bel were still inside the building, and with how fast the fire was spreading, their chances of survival were slim.

Xanxus was sitting in the car beside him, his arm wrapped around the long-haired man's shoulders as he stared down at the kitten in his lap, unable to watch what was becoming of everything he knew - what about the two boys? Would they make it out alive...?

"Xanxus, Luss just pulled into the driveway," Squalo spoke, his eyes having shifted to the rear-view mirror as he noticed headlights flash in it. "Stay here, okay? I'll talk to him."

The dark-haired man nodded. He silently reached out, placing his hand on top of Squalo's for several seconds before he pulled away, busying himself with smoothing out Bester's fur.

"You must have known this was going to happen..." Xanxus whispered to the kitten after his lover got out of the car. "If we didn't have you... We'd probably be dead..."

Squalo, who was running towards Lussuria's car that had stopped behind his own, could see the shock and devastation on the flamboyant man's face as he took in the sight of several firetrucks trying to put out what was his home.

"Luss..." Squalo didn't have it in him to shout, or make a fuss - he was too tired, stressed about the younger males' fates. He accepted the hug Lussuria gave him, pressing against the older male in exhaustion. "...Luss, Bel and Fran... They haven't made it out yet..."

Squalo - for once in his life - didn't mind that Lussuria was death-hugging him. He didn't even mention the fact that Lussuria was crying into him like a little girl. The only thing that mattered was whether or not they would ever see Fran and Bel alive again.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Sorry about not having updated anything within the past week; my cat was bitten by a snake and I had been too distraught to write. We brought her home from the vet yesterday, but she can still go downhill in the coming weeks, so if I abruptly stop updating again, that's probably what has happened and apologies in advance.**

Squalo hated seeing Fran so lifeless, but he understood that, with the boy's already-weak lungs, being trapped in a house fire wouldn't be the easiest thing for him to overcome so quickly. He was waiting for Mukuro to come and sit with the boy, needing to go and oversee the company with Xanxus - if the company's stability went downhill now of all times, they would be at risk of bankruptcy in the middle of having their home repaired, along with all of their possessions being replaced.

The long-haired man was unusually quiet as he tapped away at the touch screen of his phone, bringing up his Facebook to open Fran's boyfriend's profile - he had been kind enough to add him as a friend, which simply left waiting for the Japanese teenager to see his private message and reply.

_There's been a fire and __Bel__and __Fran__are in hospital,_ Squalo typed, almost ready to send it to Yamamoto Takeshi. _Fran__isn't doing too well. We can put you on the next flight down if you want to come and see him. _

Hitting send, Squalo knew all he could do now was wait; Takeshi should be asleep by now, and with the teenager's daily baseball practise, it would be a while before he sent a response.

"Squalo..."

The silver-haired man looked up at Mukuro Rokudo's voice, finding the man standing in the doorway of Fran's hospital room. He gestured for the blue-haired man to take a seat, not knowing what to say - what _could _he say?

"He looks awful..." Mukuro reached out, brushing sooty hair out of Fran's closed eyes.

"By the time the firemen got in, it was almost too late for them..." Squalo, for once, was speaking in a quiet voice. "Bel tried to protect him... They were in Xanxus' office... They were lucky; the fire surrounded them, but... Well, they made it to a hospital..."

Mukuro knew how much Squalo cared for Bel and Fran, and he could only imagine how hard this must be for the man; having lost his home and all of his possessions... as well as for the two youngest of his family to be hospitalised...

"If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know." Mukuro had never known Squalo to show any distress, but the bags under the man's eyes indicated that he must not have slept for a while, and that he was utterly exhausted.

Before Squalo could reply, Fran's body started shifting, teal eyes blinking heavily. His and Mukuro's eyes fixed on the boy, both silent as they watched Fran carefully.

The boy's eyes were clouded as his hand reached up, tugging at the tube that entered through his mouth and went down into his throat. By his shaky actions, the two adults could see just how weak he was.

"Don't," Squalo growled, pulling Fran's hand away. "It's helping you breathe. Leave it."

Fran didn't make a sound - rather, he _couldn't _make a sound. His teal eyes just stared blankly at Mukuro and Squalo for a few seconds before they slipped closed once again, Fran falling once more into oblivion.

Squalo turned his back to his charge at this, not wanting Mukuro to see how badly Fran's condition affected him. When he spoke to the blue-haired man, it was in a voice barely above a whisper. "Going to check on the company... Text me if something happens..."

"I will." Mukuro pulled his chair closer to Fran's bed, holding the tiny hand in his. "It's okay, little one... It's okay..."

Squalo couldn't bear to listen to this anymore; grabbing his black jacket from the chair he had draped it over, he hurried out of the hospital and down to his car. He unlocked the white Mercedes-BenzesXanxus had bought for him as an anniversary gift a few years back and slid into the driver's seat.

Squalo didn't start the car yet - he didn't even put the keys in the ignition; he instead buried his face in the steering wheel, not knowing what to do; he loved his family with all his heart, and he just didn't want to lose any of them.

~~Varia Company.~~

"How is it?"

Xanxus glanced up from the paperwork he was reading over, acknowledging his lover silently. He waited until Squalo took the seat next to him before he spoke, his voice heavy with exhaustion - in the two days that had passed since the fire, he, Squalo and Lussuria had been ran off their feet in trying to run a demanding company as well as visit the boys at the hospital; none of them had had much sleep at all.

"It seems fine." Xanxus pointed out an error on the sheet he had circled before explaining. "Someone made a mistake regarding the stock. I've fixed it before it was finalised."

Squalo nodded, grabbing the paper from the older male. He read over it carefully while Xanxus stood up and headed to the liquor cabinet, grabbing a bottle of wine from the shelf. He poured two glasses, bringing them back to the desk and sliding one to the long-haired male.

They drank in silence for a bit while Squalo went over the paperwork, searching for errors his lover hadn't picked up on.

"What's Lussuria doing?" Xanxus asked, standing over by the liquor cabinet again as he poured himself his fourth glass.

"I think he said he's talking to the subordinates and making sure there's absolutely no doubt they know what they're doing."

"Good."

Squalo sighed and sat back in his desk chair, rubbing at his eyes. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and, pulling it out, he noticed he had an alert from Facebook regarding Takeshi's response.

"Takeshi replied," Squalo said as he opened the message. Xanxus was stiff as he awaited for the younger to read out the message. "He said, 'That's horrible! Please, if you could find a flight for tonight, I can get everything ready. Please message me back with some flight details to make sure they're suitable for us both.' He's a good kid. Really good."

"If he wasn't, I'd have knocked his head in and never allowed Fran near him again," Xanxus agreed.

Squalo chuckled as he closed Facebook off to instead bring up the internet, searching for the next flight from Japan to Italy.

**A/N Regarding ****Varia****Company, I'll probably never really clarify just what kind of company it is as I'm a Retail Assistant myself and will probably never be good enough to make it into company management, let alone get facts of a fictional company right. So, just use your imagination. All you need to know is that ****Varia****Company is an independent branch of ****Vongola****Company, headed by ****Xanxus****' foster-father, ****Vongola****Ninth.**


	3. Chapter 3

The second Takeshi walked out of the airport terminal and found Squalo waiting for him, the first thing he asked was, "How's Fran doing?"

Squalo shook his head. It had taken two days for Takeshi to come down to Italy, but none of them could blame him - he had other commitments in Japan he had to take care of first. "He was passed out when I left to pick you up. His nurse thinks it might be a few more weeks before he starts responding properly."

Takeshi followed the older man down to the baggage collection area, just wanting to grab his stuff and then go to his lover's side. "What happens if he doesn't respond?"

"Then they'll move him into intensive care and hope for the best." The long-haired male sounded grim as he spoke. "They don't think that will happen, but they have to be prepared."

Takeshi was relieved that his suitcase was one of the first to come out on the conveyer belt and, with one fell swoop, picked it up and started walking to the exit. "Are we going straight to the hospital?"

"Yeah." Squalo lead the way through the crowded airport, trying to get back to the car as fast as he could - after two days of Takeshi sending him private messages over Facebook about how distraught he was, he knew it was cruel to make him wait even longer to see his boyfriend.

_Oh, F__ran__..._ Takeshi frowned, forgetting the Italian word for an apology in his distress as he bumped into a couple by accident. "E-eh... G-gomenasai..."

Either the couple understood Takeshi was apologising, or the distressed look on the teenager's face was enough to tell them he had a lot going on - either way, they both smiled at him and kept on their way.

_Fran__, I'm so sorry it took so long for me to be by your side..._ Takeshi's frown grew as he stepped out of the airport, guessing that, by the looks of things, Squalo would had to have parked a fair distance away - it looked so busy, it must not have been easy finding somewhere to park his car.

"I had to park across from the airport." Squalo's words confirmed the younger's suspicions. "I'm sorry it's taking you so long to get to the hospital."

In the year that Takeshi had known Squalo, he knew the older man well enough to know that Squalo didn't apologise to _anyone, _so the taller male must be feeling as horrible as he looked.

~~XX~~

After what felt like an eternity, Takeshi was finally stepping into Fran's hospital room. He found the boy laying in the bed, a tube disappearing in his mouth and multiple drips connected to his arm. He was awake and staring up at the roof, his teal eyes glazed over as if he was lost in his thoughts.

"Fran...?" Takeshi dropped his bag by the door, kicking it out of the way so no one tripped over it. "Fran? I'm here now."

Fran didn't seem to hear his boyfriend's words, showing no acknowledgement whatsoever that people had actually stepped into his room.

Takeshi didn't let this deter him; he reached out and grabbed Fran's hand. He held it tightly, hating how cold it was in his grip. He leant over and placed a kiss on the older male's forehead, trying to let him know he was here.

"Fran, it took me a while to be able to come down after such short notice, but I'm here now." Takeshi sighed and squeezed Fran's hand. "I'm here, and I'm not leaving you until you're okay. I'll never leave you. I love you."

Squalo was leaning against the door frame, watching the two boys. He was almost certain Fran would remain as unresponsive to Takeshi as he had to everyone else - so when he saw the way the smaller boy's hand twitched, he felt his stomach drop; that was the first response anyone had gotten out of him.

"He squeezed my hand, Squalo..." Takeshi said quietly, almost unsure of whether or not to believe it. "He..."

"I saw..." Squalo was hurt greatly by the fact that, as the ones who had been looking after Fran for the past eleven years, he responded only to his boyfriend of one year. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled his phone out. He stared at it for a few seconds before he threw it over to the teenager, his dark eyes unreadable. "I'm going out for a drink. If anything happens, let Xanxus or Lussuria know."

"What about Bel?" Takeshi was almost certain that if anyone would want to know about Fran's condition, it would be the blond he had come to adore. "Should I let him know?"

Squalo shook his head. "He lost his phone in the fire. Even if he still had it, he wouldn't be using it; he's been sleeping in the other hospital room, trying to recover."

"I'll go visit him when Fran is asleep." Takeshi promised. "He must be lonely."

"Don't bother." Squalo turned around to leave. "Not much you can do when he's fighting for his life."

Takeshi frowned, trying to understand how much the adults must be hurting - not only have they lost their home and their possessions, the two males they saw as children were struggling for survival.

"...I didn't know... I'm sorry..." Takeshi ducked his head. "...I'll let Xanxus or Lussuria know, Squalo. I promise."

"I know you are, kid..." Squalo shook his head as he walked away. "...I know you are..."

Takeshi watched as Squalo disappeared around the corner. He squeezed Fran's hand again, leaning down to rest his forehead on the pale, cold one.

"No matter what, I'm always going to be here for you, Fran." The younger male let his face slip downwards, pressing their lips together. The kiss was soft, not wanting to take advantage of the injured boy but also wanting the other to understand that he was here. "I love you, Fran..."


	4. Chapter 4

A bit over a month later, Fran had been released from the hospital. Without a home to go to, Takeshi had been worried about how they would look after his boyfriend - but it turns out, the person who had offered to take them in was someone Takeshi had known long before he met Fran.

Dino Cavallone, a blond klutz who worked alongside Xanxus' foster father, was a good friend to Takeshi and the others. He knew that the blond would be good to them all, his heart too big to let them suffer.

Fran's head rested against Takeshi's shoulder as he stared out of the car window, watching the scenery pass by. Their hands were entwined, and the younger male was sure his boyfriend was almost asleep.

"Are we almost there?" Takeshi asked quietly, hoping not to disturb his lover.

Squalo glanced at the two through the rear-view mirror. He nodded, taking a hand off the steering wheel to point at a mansion in the distance of the countryside. "Just there."

"Fran's almost asleep." Takeshi ran a hand through teal hair, holding him close. "Think we can go straight up to our rooms so he can rest?"

"Yeah. Someone should have already moved your shit into a room. Just go and look for it."

Takeshi was used to Squalo's vulgar mouth, not offended in the least by the man's words. He instead turned to look out at the green countryside as well, barely noticing that Fran's eyes had closed and the older male was napping peacefully.

**~~X****X**

Dino Cavallone had taken Takeshi and Fran to their room a few hours ago, leaving them to sleep. The young blond who had offered his home to the Varia was someone introduced to Takeshi by Tsuna several years ago. The brunet had met Dino through a mutual friend named Reborn, and the two had quickly become as close as brothers.

Fran, who had slept fitfully from nightmares of the fire, was slowly waking up, opening his eyes to see Takeshi laying beside him, stroking his teal hair.

"You're awake." Takeshi moved his face closer to the boy, pressing their lips together softly. Fran returned the kiss, opening his mouth to give his lover entrance.

The two kissed for a few seconds before the older male pulled away, coughing. Takeshi understood; now that his asthma was flaring up, it was harder for them to be as intimate as they usually were.

"I love you, Fran." Takeshi moved to nip at the pale skin of Fran's neck, careful not to agitate the areas that had been burnt during the incident.

"I love you, too, Takeshi." Fran moaned softly as he laid on his back, pulling the younger male on top of him. He wrapped his arms around the dark-haired teenager's neck, tilting his head back to give his lover more room to work with. "...Oh... Takeshi..."

Takeshi could feel the rising pressure against his stomach, and the older male made it all the more obvious when he started rubbing his hips against the Japanese teenager, silently asking for more.

Reaching down in between their bodies, the stronger male unzipped his pants, freeing his own arousal. He then popped the buttons on Fran's own pair, releasing the smaller shaft.

Fran moaned as he felt a warm hand wrap around him, bringing his smaller self to rest against Takeshi's length so the teenager could pump them both at the same time. It had been a few months since they had seen each other last, and Fran had almost forgotten how good this felt.

"That's right..." Takeshi smiled down at Fran as he stroked them both, leaning down to take the boy's mouth in his own. Their kiss was passionate, the younger male's hand working against them faster. "It's good, isn't it?"

Fran nodded, whimpering as he felt his release coming closer. His hips bucked of their own accord as a thumb circled the slit on his head, crying out Takeshi's name.

"Fran..." The younger male dropped his head, sucking at Fran's throat. He knew the less-experienced boy was coming, and he finished it off with reaching down with his free hand to caress the small, neglected sac.

"Takeshi!" Fran whimpered as his back arched, spraying his seed over the black turtleneck he was wearing.

Takeshi grunted as he followed suit, always able to get off when he saw his boyfriend's beautiful face during climax; during their weeks apart, it wasn't uncommon for them to masturbate together over the webcam while on Skype, and it was always enough to bring him to an intense peak.

"I love you..." Takeshi rid them both of their dirtied shirts, chucking them onto the end of the bed; he was sure Lussuria, or at least one of the maids, would come in and realise they needed washing.

"I love you, too." Fran waited until his lover laid beside him before he curled in against the strong chest that always brought him comfort.

The Japanese male's arms wrapped around Fran's waist, holding him close. "Are you going to be okay?" he whispered, resting his chin in teal hair.

Fran nodded. "I'm okay, Takeshi. I just... don't like fire..."

"I can understand." Takeshi squeezed the boy before he relaxed his grip. "When do you think Bel will come home?"

"Hopefully soon." Fran missed the blond greatly; their relationship had been rocky once the two had grown up, but it had started improving shortly after meeting Takeshi in Japan for the first time. They had become close once again, almost as close as they had been when they were young. The truth was, Fran blamed himself for Bel having been injured so badly in the fire - it had been _him _the man was trying to protect, after all.

"I'm sure he'll be okay," Takeshi soothed, sensing Fran's train of thought. "He's really tough."

Fran nodded, closing his eyes as he allowed himself to relax - he was safe here with Takeshi, and Bel would be back with them as soon as he could.

For now, he just wanted to bask in the comfort Takeshi radiated.


	5. Chapter 5

When Takeshi woke up later that day, he noticed that Fran was still curled in against him. He yawned before he ran a hand through teal locks, pulling the older teenager close to him. The smaller male was still fast asleep until his body started heaving with loud coughs.

Takeshi held Fran, rubbing the older male's back soothingly. Fran reached into his pocket, grabbing his inhaler with shaky hands. It took a few puffs for him to regain his breath and, when he did, he sat up, rubbing at his eyes.

"What time is it...?" Fran's sleepy eyes glanced around the room, searching for a clock of sorts.

The younger male looked at his wristwatch. "Six-eighteen. Are you hungry?"

Fran nodded. "Very. Let's go see if dinner's ready yet."

Takeshi slipped themselves back into the confines of their pants before he stood up, walking into the bathroom conjoined to their room. He washed his hands before he returned to Fran's side, making sure his lover had clean clothes to wear. He pulled said clothing from the bags next to his suitcase; Lussuria had gone clothes shopping for Fran while he was still in hospital, knowing the boy couldn't wear the same things all day every day.

Fran dressed himself while Takeshi changed his clothes, knowing they had to look presentable for dinner. The younger male brushed their hair, trying to make their dishevelled appearance less apparent.

"Are you ready?"

The boy nodded, moving close to grab Takeshi's hand. The younger male - albeit, the taller one of the two - squeezed back, his hand dwarfing it.

"How are Tsuna and Hayato?" Fran glanced up at his boyfriend, his teal eyes curious.

"Yeah, they're great." Takeshi smiled at his boyfriend. "Squalo lets me use his phone to go on my Facebook and talk to them. They were worried about you, so I said I'd keep them updated."

"I was talking to Tsuna on Facebook the night before... before _that..._" Fran shifted uncomfortably at the memory of the fire. "He was telling me about Hayato getting a kitten."

"Uri." Takeshi laughed cheerfully. "He's not very friendly - takes after his owner. Strangely enough, it's really only Gokudera he attacks."

"I'd attack him, too." Fran rested his head against the Japanese's teenager's arm, feeling comfortable with Takeshi. He was surprised he was taking the loss of his home so well, feeling just a tad sad whenever he thought about it. He felt normal, like he usually did, as if he hadn't just been through such a traumatic experience.

Takeshi laughed again as he lead Fran down the hallway and descended the long staircase. They talked amongst themselves for a few minutes before they entered the dining room after a bit more exploration, finding everyone else seated and eating already.

"Boys!" Lussuria smiled at the two teenagers, pointing to the unoccupied spots further down the table. "Squalo went in to get you both for dinner, but you were sleeping so peacefully, he thought he'd just leave you."

Dino smiled as he welcomed his two young guests, speaking in Italian - unlike the Varia who had grown accustomed to speaking in Japanese whenever Takeshi was down, he didn't think of the fact that the Japanese male didn't know much Italian.

"What did he say?" Takeshi grinned at his lover, knowing he could rely on Fran to translate for him.

"He said he'll have someone bring out plates for us." The boy leant up on his tiptoes, placing a kiss against Takeshi's lips. He smiled at his boyfriend before he turned around to take a seat at the _very _big dining table, but he soon stopped in frozen fear as his teal eyes took in an unexpected sight.

"Fran?" Takeshi put a hand on the smaller male's shoulder, leaning down to take a look at Fran's face. He became worried when he saw that the boy's normally expressionless face was full of fear, eyes wide and teeth biting through a pale lip. Sweat started beading along the other's forehead, dripping down his face, and within seconds, Fran's body started to shake. "Fran, what's wrong?"

The boy raised a trembling hand as he pointed to the fireplace at the end of the room, a small fire lit inside it. He whimpered before he threw himself at Takeshi, wrapping his arms around his lover.

"P-put it out..." Fran whispered, clutching at the blue jacket the younger was wearing. His frightened whispers suddenly morphed into screams of horror as he realised no one was going to do as he had asked. "Put it _out!" _

Lussuria jumped out of his chair as he ran to the teenagers, frowning deeply. He grabbed Fran's shoulders, worried greatly - what _was _the younger talking about...?

"Fran, dear, what's the matter?" Lussuria had never seen Fran like this before, and it bothered him greatly - had the loss of their home done more damage than just physically...?

"Put it out!" Fran had tears running down his cheeks by now, pressing closer to Takeshi. "T-the fire! I-it's gonna burn!"

The onlookers understood what Fran wanted now - they could see that the boy was fearing another out of control fire, however irrational he was being.

Dino gestured for a servant to come close before he whispered in the man's ear. He received a nod in return, his servant moving to the door on the far side of the room to go into the kitchen. The suit-clad male returned a minute later with a bucket of water, dousing the fire under his master's orders.

"Look, it's gone, Fran." Lussuria tried to turn his charge around so the boy could look at the fireplace, but Fran was determined to look anywhere but there. "It's gone. See? It's not going to hurt you."

Fran reluctantly raised his eyes to look for the fire, his sobs slowly softening and turning into hiccups. He wiped at his wet eyes, trying to stop the memories of the house fire and the uncontrollable sense of horror that came with them.

"Just come closer and you'll -" Lussuria had tried to move the young male closer to the fireplace to show him it was okay, but Fran just screamed again and pulled away, refusing to go near the fireplace at all.

"It's okay, Fran." Takeshi wrapped his arms tighter around his older lover, holding him close. He stroked teal hair in a soothing manner as he whispered, trying to get the boy to calm down. "It's okay. Nothing's going to hurt you, Fran. It's okay. It's okay."

"I want to go back to our room..." Fran whispered, hiccupping again.

"Okay. We'll go back upstairs," the dark-haired male whispered back, knowing that Fran was in more pain than he could understand. "Lussuria-san, we're going to our room. Can you ask Dino to put some dinner for us away?"

Lussuria nodded as he rubbed Fran's back, wishing he could help. "I'll do that. Call out if you need anything."

Takeshi nodded, smiling at the flamboyant man. "Come on, Fran."

Fran wiped at his wet cheeks as he followed Takeshi out of the room, still shaking - all he could remember was the terror he had felt, trapped in his burning house.

When Lussuria returned back to his seat, Squalo leant across the table, his dark eyes soft with concern. "What was that about?"

"The fire." Lussuria sighed. "He's afraid of fire. Would it be too much trouble if I ask for none of the fireplaces to be lit, Dino? At least not while Fran is around."

"We'll do that," the blond promised. "If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

Lussuria sighed, hoping something could be done to help Fran.

**~~XX~~**

"Are you okay, now, Fran?" Takeshi wrapped his arms around Fran's torso as the warm water from the shower beat down upon them.

"Yeah... Sorry if I worried you." Fran turned around in the embrace, burying his face against the stronger chest.

"Did you remember _that..._?" The Japanese teenager was tender about the subject, unable to fathom what Fran was going through.

Fran nodded, sighing. "...I... I don't know... what came over me... I saw the fire, and... And it just hit me..."

"It must have been very scary..." The stronger male leant down, kissing the top of Fran's head. "If you ever need to talk about it, you know I'm here, Fran."

"I know... Ti amo..."

Takeshi hadn't heard that particular Italian phrase before. Reaching down, he grabbed the smaller hand in his, squeezing. "What does that mean, Fran?"

"That I love you..."

"Well, Ti amo, Fran. Ti amo."

Fran lifted his head, kissing Takeshi's lips softly. The younger kissed back, pulling Fran close - he knew the teal-haired male was seeking comfort, and comfort he would get.


	6. Chapter 6

When Squalo went upstairs to check on the two teenagers the the next morning, he felt his heart break at the way Fran trembled and whimpered in his sleep, crying out for Bel. Takeshi was still asleep, his arms wrapped tight around the older male, holding Fran close to his body.

"Brat." Squalo moved into the room, reaching out to shake Fran awake. His dark eyes watched as the boy jumped, snapping to attention instantly. "Brat, you okay?"

Fran nodded, looking down at his shaking hands. He had dreamt about the fire again, but he hadn't realised it was scaring him enough to make him react this way in his sleep. "I'm fine..."

Takeshi stirred, loosening his hold on his lover. He cracked his eyes open, noticing that Squalo had joined them, and offered the man a smile.

"Yo..." Takeshi yawned, running a hand through his hair. "What's up?"

The older teenager crawled over Takeshi to get off the bed, disappearing into the bathroom. The other two watched him go before they turned their attention to each other, concern in their gazes.

"What are we going to do with him...?" Squalo sighed, not cut out for this job.

"He needs to talk about it..." Takeshi frowned. "...He won't... He keeps insisting he's fine when he's not..."

"I'll try and get him in to talk to a psychologist." Squalo pulled his phone from his pocket, bringing up the internet to search for therapists available in the area. "Fran isn't the kind of person who talks about his problems, though."

"He tells me some stuff, but not a lot," Takeshi agreed. "He doesn't tell me the serious things. Squalo, can you get him in to see someone today?"

"I'd doubt it." Squalo slipped his phone back into his pocket. "He needs a referral from a doctor, first. Then if he's put onto a waiting list..."

"What if it's an emergency? Can they make it go any faster?"

"I don't know, kid..." Squalo glanced over to the bathroom as the door opened again, Fran's head appearing with his toothbrush poking out of his mouth.

"I can hear you, and I don't want a stupid doctor." Fran sounded emotionless as usual, but Squalo knew the boy well enough to sense the anger the younger was feeling. "I'm fine. Really. I don't _need _to talk to anyone."

"Brat, you're seeing someone and that's final." Squalo didn't want to yell at Fran so soon after everything that had happened, but it upset him to know that the boy was hurting himself by refusing help. "We're not going to wait until you're in the corner crying all day every day - we're going to fix the problem _now_ before it escalates."

"Don't you have work to do, you stupid long-haired shark?" Fran narrowed his eyes, feeling himself losing his temper. "I don't want to look at your inappropriate face so soon after waking up."

"Voi! You fucking little shit!" Squalo was ready to hit something, and he took that as his cue to leave - he didn't want to hurt Takeshi or Fran, but after all the stress he was under, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself if he started.

Fran glared after his guardian before he walked to the bed, sitting on Takeshi's lap. He pulled his toothbrush from his mouth, sighing as he leant back against the younger's chest. He spoke in a softer voice now, one reserved only for his lover. "I really don't need to talk to anyone, Takeshi - really."

"Don't you think it would be a good idea just to at least talk to a professional and make sure you really _are _okay?" Takeshi rested his chin on Fran's shoulder. "I don't think you're fine, Fran. I think you're trying too hard to be strong when you don't need to."

"I don't want to talk to people about my problems, Takeshi - you know that. You're the only one I tell if I'm having a bad day, but that's it."

"But would you tell _me _if you're not okay, Fran?" Takeshi's soft eyes looked into teal ones, knowing his boyfriend could be difficult at times. "Or Squalo or the others?"

Fran was silent for a few seconds before he looked away, shaking his head. "..."

"Why not?" The Japanese male grabbed a small hand, squeezing tightly.

"...Because I don't like to talk about stuff like that to anyone..." Fran shrugged. "I'm not a talkative person, Takeshi..."

Takeshi wrapped his arms around the smaller male, holding him close. "Can you please at least give it a try? For us? It'll make us feel better."

"...I'll think about it..." Fran rested his cheek against Takeshi's shoulder, not wanting to hurt his boyfriend - he just didn't want to feel weak and helpless by talking about it; he wanted to feel as if he was strong enough to handle it by keeping it to himself.

The Japanese male smiled. "Thank you, Fran. I feel better already."

**~~XX~~**

Downstairs, Squalo was saying goodbye to Xanxus as the man got ready to join Lussuria at the company. They were kissing passionately, Xanxus' tongue the dominate one, as he held Bester against his side, not wanting to part with his precious kitten.

When they broke apart for air, Squalo rested his forehead against Xanxus', exhausted from lack of sleep. "Be careful driving, boss - you look as tired as I feel."

The two men had deep bags under their eyes, but Xanxus wasn't the type of person to admit to a weakness. "I'll be fine, trash. _You'd _better be careful when you're going to get the prince trash, or I'll kill you if the accident doesn't."

The two embraced for a few seconds before they pulled away, Squalo watching as his lover left the mansion with his kitten in tow.

The long-haired man sighed as he turned around to walk to the dining room, checking his watch; he had spoken to Bel's nurse the previous day, and the woman had said the blond man would be released today. Squalo wanted to get some food into his empty stomach before he drove anywhere, not wanting to risk falling asleep at the wheel.

Takeshi and Fran were the only ones seated at the table, Fran shaking as Takeshi cut up the boy's bacon and sausages into smaller bites, knowing that his lover was on edge again because of the fireplace.

"You can eat in your room, you know?" Squalo grabbed a piece of sausage from Fran's plate, shoving it into his mouth. "Dino will understand."

"I'm fine..." Fran's wavering voice was the proof that the boy was _not _okay. "I don't _need _to leave..."

Squalo shook his head, not knowing what to do - he had never had such problems of his _own _before, and he hadn't even taken a single psychology course in his schooling or university years, having absolutely no idea about these kinds of things.

"Whatever you say, brat..." Squalo moved into the kitchen, intending on asking for the chefs to whip up a quick breakfast before he left.

"Here you go, Fran." Takeshi smiled as he pushed Fran's plate towards the boy, picking up his own cutlery. "Better?"

Fran nodded, stabbing at a small piece of bacon with his fork. He lifted it to his mouth, chewing slower than ever as he tried to focus on anything but the fireplace that was so _close _to them. "Thank you..."

"Anytime, Fran."

The two teenagers ate in silence together for a while before Squalo came back out, a plate with bacon and eggs in his hands. He sat next to Takeshi, taking a bite of bacon before he spoke.

"I'm going to pick up Bel from the hospital when I've eaten. Can you guys look after him? I have to go back to work once I've brought him back. The nurse said he's still a bit wobbly and sore."

The teenagers nodded, Takeshi smiling brightly at the thought of his blond friend finally coming back - it had been so long since he had seen the man, he missed Bel's unique behaviour, always laughing along with the cheerful adult.

"Dino's gone to work as well, so it's just you guys and the servants. If you need anything, they'll help you out. They're all pretty nice."

Fran nodded, finding it harder and harder to keep his attention on anything but the fireplace. His heart was pounding against his chest, and his eyes were wet with tears. He trembled, his mind running on overdrive as flashbacks of the incident plagued him, along with the unshakable idea that a fire would start _here _as well because of that _fucking _fireplace.

Frightened sobs filled the air as Fran wrapped his arms around himself, tears dripping down his cheeks. His eyes held a frightened, yet distant look in them as Squalo abandoned his food in favour of picking him up and carrying him back upstairs and into their bedroom.

"Stubborn brat..." Squalo sighed as he ran a hand through teal hair, wishing he knew what to do - this was more Lussuria's field. "Spent too much time with that prince; gotten his stubborn attitude..."

Fran was unseeing as he was pulled onto Squalo's lap, unaware of the arms that wrapped tightly around him. Squalo hugged the boy tight, knowing he needed to talk to someone who knew what to do - he couldn't just continue to sit here and be absolutely useless to the damaged boy.

"Look after him for me, kid..." The silver-haired male was reluctant to pass the frail body over to Takeshi, but he knew he had to go; Bel was waiting for him and, knowing the blond, would be getting more impatient with each passing second. "I'll be back soon."

Takeshi nodded, hugging Fran tight as he buried his face in teal hair, whispering to him. He himself didn't know how he could help - just that all he could do was hug and whisper to his beautiful lover.

"I love you, Fran..." Takeshi kissed Fran's nose, squeezing the scrawny male gently. "I love you..."

Fran didn't respond; he just continued to stare blankly ahead of him as he cried.


End file.
